Martine Carol

Martine Carol

Active - 1943 - 1967 | Born - May 16, 1922 in Biarritz, France | Died - Feb 6, 1967 in Monte Carlo | Genres - Comedy, Drama, Adventure, Romance, Crime

Biography

Carol was born Maryse Mourer, the name she used early in her stage career. After some experience on the French stage she debuted onscreen in 1943, working her way up to starring roles by 1948. A voluptuous blonde, she was France's biggest box-office attraction in the early fifties, occasionally appearing semi-nude onscreen. With the rise of Brigitte Bardot she was overshadowed as a sex symbol and her career declined in the late '50s. Carol attempted without success to revive her popularity in international films, but died of a heart attack at 45. She was married to director Christian-Jacque, who directed some of her most memorable films.

http://www.allmovie.com/artist/martine-carol-p11118

Date of Birth 16 May 1920, Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne, France

Date of Death 6 February 1967, Monte Carlo, Monaco (heart attack)

Birth Name Maryse Louise Mourer

France`s major sex siren of the early 50s, this lesser-remembered post-war French pastry pre-dated bombshell Brigitte Bardot by a few years but her brief reign did not compare and has not lived up to the Bardot era. The cult mystique is not there even after dying mysteriously and relatively young. Martine was born Marie-Louise Mourer on May 16, 1920 (some references indicate 1922), but little is known of her childhood. A chance meeting with comedian Andre Luguet steered her toward a career in the theatre. Trained by Rene Simon, she made her 1940 stage debut with "Phedre" billed as Maryse Arley. She subsequently caught the eye of Henri-Georges Clouzot who hired her for his film "The Cat," based on the novel by Colette, but the project was scrapped. Nevertheless, she did attract attention in the movie Wolf Farm (1943), which takes advantage of her photogenic beauty and ease in front of the camera despite a limited acting ability. A pin-up goddess and support actress throughout the 40s, Martine also appeared on the stage of the Theater of the Renaissance. A torrid affair with actor Georges Marchal, who was married to actress Dany Robin at the time, ended disasterously and she attempted suicide by taking an alcohol/drug overdose and throwing herself into the Seine River. She was saved by a taxi driver who accompanied her there. Ironically, the unhappy details surrounding her suicide attempt renewed the fascination audiences had with Martine up until that time. In 1950 she scored her first huge film success with the French Revolution epic Caroline Cherie (no doubt prompted by her seminude scenes and taunting, kittenish sexuality) and she was off and running at the box office. Her film romps were typically done tastefully with an erotic twinge of innocence and gentle sexuality plus an occasional bubble bath thrown in as male bait. She continued spectacularly with an array of costumed teasers such as Adorable Creatures (1952), Sins of the Borgias (1953), Madame du Barry (1954) and Nana (1954), all guided and directed by second husband Christian-Jacque, whom she married in 1954. A true feast for the eyes and one of the most beautiful actresses of her time, Martine later divorced the director due to professional conflicts and long separations. One last memorable part would come to her as the title role in Max Ophuls` Lola Montes (1955) portraying a circus performer who entrances all around her. By the mid 50s, Bardot had replaced Martine on the goddess pedestal and the voluptuous blonde`s career went into a severe decline. Although such mature roles as Empress Josephine in The Battle of Austerlitz (1960) and others followed, nothing revived audience interest. Depressed, Martine turned alarmingly reclusive while a third marriage to French doctor Andre Rouveix also soured by 1962. Problems with substance abuse and a severe accident in the 60s also curtailed her career dramatically. Her last film Hell Is Empty was made in 1963 but not released until 1967. One last marriage to fourth husband Mike Eland, an English businessman and friend of first hubby Steve Crane, seemed hopeful, but on February 6, 1967, Martine died of cardiac arrest at age 46 in the bathroom of a hotel in Monacco Her husband discovered her. Newspapers hinted at a possible drug overdose but nothing was ever proven. She was buried in the cemetery of Cannes.

Spouse (4)

Mike Eland (1966 - 6 February 1967) (her death)

Andrè Rouveix (3 August 1959 - 23 June 1962) (divorced)

Christian-Jaque (15 July 1954 - 1959) (divorced)

Stephen Crane (14 September 1949 - 1953) (divorced)

Trivia (2)

Attempted suicide by throwing herself off a bridge into the Seine river in Paris. [April 1947]

One of her first loves was German singer René Carol.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0138987/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm